Knee brace can generate power for small gadgets

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Here’s a great idea for a wearable convergence device. It’s a knee brace that generates enough electricity to power smaller gadgets like cell phones, MP3 players, portable GPS systems, and even “a motorized prosthetic joint or an implanted neurotransmitter,” according to the PhysOrg.com web site.

The brace was developed by the University of Michigan and “works much like regenerative braking charges a battery in some small hybrid vehicles.” Tests were performed on six men walking 2.2 miles per hour on a treadmill while wearing the 3.5-pound brace.

The weight of the device did affect the wearer somewhat but the actual generation of energy did not. So assuming the brace can be slimmed down a bit, we might have a winner on our hands here, folks.